Embedding Cross-cutting/Emerging Issues into the Crowd Curricula (The Case of Primary Schools in Gambella National Regional State, Ethiopia)

Cross-cutting issues are those educational issues which do not relate to a specific subject but are of relevance to the whole education sector. Emerging issues are educational issues that have not been addressed so far in any educational system and curriculum. Precisely because they are cross-cutting and emerging, they are not the specific responsibility of a sub-sector, there is a risk that they are somewhat overlooked.

Accordingly, there are varied cross-cutting and emerging issues that had been included in the curriculum. There are also the probable forth-coming cross-cutting and emerging issues in education. These might be, for instance, environmental education, philosophy for children education, entrepreneurship education, peace-building education, vocational education, learning skills education, life skills education, indigenous education, early grade reading enhancement/improvement program, among others.

The purpose of the study was to discuss issues to be considered to embed those cross-cutting and emerging issues into curricula. To this end, the study has discussed what attributed and ascribed cause to the creation of cross-cutting/emergency issues in education. The study has also discussed the issues, opinions and concerns pertinent to the vitality level of the issues for learning, to what level they were so far included in the existing primary schools’ curricula at Gambella National Regional State. Furthermore, the study has documented what issues and considerations need to be dealt with in order to embed the existing and forth coming cross-cutting and emerging issues into curricula.